Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training S24

8/19/2019 Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training S24

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Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training

CONTENTSOrganizing and Delivering the Course ........................ 2

Gathering Activity .....................................................10

Opening and Introductions ........................................12

Aims and Methods of Scouting ................................. 14

Role of the Scoutmaster............................................ 17

The Patrol Method .................................................... 20

The Troop Meeting ................................................... 26

Advancement ........................................................... 31

The Support Team .................................................... 35

Annual Planning ...................................................... 40

Wrap-Up .................................................................. 44

Closing..................................................................... 45

Appendix ................................................................. 46

Appendix A: Equipment and Materials ........................................................................47

Appendix B: Samples of Course Posters ......................................................................48

Appendix C: Aims of Scouting ...................................................................................50

Appendix D: Organization of Boy Scouting ................................................................51

Appendix E: What Makes a Trained Leader? ..............................................................52

Appendix F: Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities ....................................53

Appendix G: The Scoutmaster Conference ..................................................................55

Appendix H: Sample Scoutmaster Conference Questions ..............................................60

Appendix I: Advancement Checklists ..........................................................................62

Appendix J: Advancement Simulation Cards ...............................................................63

Appendix K: Participant Course Assessment ................................................................72


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Organizing and Delivering the Course:Notes for the Training Team

Why Training?

o do anything well, people need training, in whatever orm that takes. raining may be ormalor inormal; it may help someone learn to ride a bicycle, drive a car, or perorm better at a job.raining can be conducted in a group setting or individually. In the end, the result o high-quality

training is a person’s ability to do something new or better, and a eeling o satisaction rom theaccomplishment.

How effectively the Boy Scouts o America influences the lives o youth depends on its leadersand their ability to apply the aims and methods o Scouting—these are the keys, and developingthe ability to use these keys is what this course is all about.

Scoutmaster Position-Specific training, course code S24, is the BSA’s initial level o training orthe top leaders o Boy Scout troops. It is designed or Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, and junior assistant Scoutmasters. However, committee members and other adults connected to a BoyScout troop are welcome to attend.

When Scoutmaster Position-Specific training and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS)

have both been completed, new Scoutmasters will have the tools needed to begin an effective BoyScouting program.

How to Use This Syllabus

Troughout the syllabus, trainers will find notes to the instructor that incorporate importantpoints to help deliver quality training. Te ollowing icons are used throughout to bring attentionto key points, best practices, and potential pitalls:

Spark

This icon highlights important points for the instructor to reinforce.

Helpful Tool

This icon signals an expanded explanation that may help trainers and participants better understandthe point being made.

Best to Avoid

This cautionary note will help the instructor stay within the intent of the lesson and avoid tangentialdiscussions. It may be better to conduct these discussions during a break or in a different setting.

Scoutmaster Position-Specific training is intentionally designed as a hal-day course in order to

respect the time o busy Scoutmasters, and where possible, it may be offered in conjunction withIOLS. Scoutmaster Position-Specific training cannot provide adult leaders everything they needto know to be successul Scoutmasters. Te unit commissioner, the Troop Leader Guidebook, theBoy Scout Handbook, and supplemental training will fill in most o the gaps.


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Te burden is on the training team to ensure the participants perceive this initial training aseffective, useul, and un. Tis training experience should leave the Scoutmasters who attendenthusiastic about participating in additional district, council, regional, and national trainingopportunities as they continue in the program.

Unless specified, this syllabus is not intended to be read verbatim.

Te content notes in the individual lessons are, in most cases, written to help the trainers developtheir presentations. rainers should be amiliar with the content and be able to present it withoutreading. Experienced trainers should use their own words, but they must make sure to cover thecontent and meet the objectives o the sessions.

One o the keys to success is or trainers to observe the participants during the sessions—especially during the hands-on phases—to be sure they are engaged and have learned the topicbeore moving on.

Tere are no PowerPoint slides provided. It is recommended that the training team use a varietyo teaching methods to achieve the desired learning objectives.

o paraphrase a amous Walt Disney quote, Scoutmaster Position-Specific training should be somuch un and so valuable that participants want to come back and bring their riends.

Prerequisites

Youth Protection training is a joining requirement or all registered adult leaders in the BoyScouts o America. Tereore, it is assumed that every adult attending this course has completedYouth Protection training. I this is not the case, the individual should complete Youth Protectiontraining as soon as possible. Be sure to check with each participant attending the course; i any aremissing Youth Protection training, help them locate a convenient opportunity to take the trainingas soon as possible.

Also share with participants, preerably beore the course, that Boy Scout Leader Fast Starttraining is a short online course that provides some basic knowledge and an introduction toBoy Scouting terminology. Fast Start offers new leaders a starting point, and ScoutmasterPosition-Specific training builds upon that oundation. Fast Start is not a requirement orbecoming a “trained” leader (see “What Makes a rained Leader?” Appendix E), but newleaders will find it to be an excellent introduction to Scouting, and they should be encouragedto review it beore taking this course. Youth Protection training and Fast Start may be ound atwww.MyScouting.org.


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Course Objectives

Te purpose o Scoutmaster Position-Specific training is to provide an active, un, and positivelearning experience or new and experienced Scoutmasters to learn and apply proven techniquesor running an effective Boy Scout troop. Scoutmasters will learn how to meet the aims oScouting by applying the eight methods o the Boy Scouting program during the our mainsessions o the course:

• Patrol Method

• Support eam• Advancement

• Annual Planning

References

Scoutmasters will need to be amiliar with the publications noted below. Tese reerences werealso used to create this course. Course aculty should highlight and show the relevant BSAliterature used during each lesson.

District and council training teams should consider having copies o the Troop Leader Guidebook and the Boy Scout Handbook available or purchase prior to the training. It will be necessary to

have excerpts rom Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews, Troop Program Resources, andthe Guide to Safe Scouting available or use during group work or as handouts.

• Troop Leader Guidebook

• Boy Scout Handbook

• Program Features for Troops, Teams and Crews, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (available at Scout shops, atScoutstuff.org, or in a Kindle version at amazon.com)

• Guide to Safe Scouting (available as a PDF at www.scouting.org/HealthandSaety)

• Troop Program Resources (available rom your council Scout shop or www.scoutstuff.org)

• Senior Patrol Leader Handbook

• Patrol Leader Handbook• Guide to Advancement (available as a PDF at www.scouting.org/advancement)

• Posters, “Aims o Boy Scouting” and “Methods o Boy Scouting” (Appendix B)

Ensure the participants know to bring their copies of the Troop Leader Guidebookand Boy Scout Handbook , as they will need to refer to these publications during the training.

Other great BSA publications, such as rek Saely and Sae Swim Deense, should be reservedor uture supplemental training opportunities. Scouting magazine is another resource or stayingabreast o program ideas. Tere are also useul newsletters and orums available on www.scouting.

org. It may be appropriate to have samples o these pamphlets, magazines, publications, andnewsletters displayed on a side table in order to generate interest in uture learning and programopportunities. It is also helpul to provide participants a handout or flier listing upcoming counciland district program and training events.


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Time

Scoutmaster Position-Specific training should take about 4½ hours. Te sessions are intentionallyshort: Tey introduce the subjects and show the participants how to use the BSA literature.Specific questions should be addressed to the troop guides during breaks and during ollow-upcoaching sessions with the troop’s unit commissioner.

Training teams are urged to conduct a faculty development session prior to offering this training inorder to facilitate timing of presentations and to avoid faculty duplication.

Another outstanding opportunity to explore these topics in detail is through supplementaltraining provided by the district or council. Supplemental training allows experienced unitleaders to share the lessons they have learned with new Scoutmasters. Te council mayutilize roundtables and other supplemental training opportunities to delve into additionaltopics in detail.

A sample schedule or this training might look like this:

Start End Title Instructor Remarks

8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Gathering Activity (during registration)8:30 a.m. 8:45 a.m. Opening and Introductions

8:45 a.m. 9 a.m. Aims and Methods

9 a.m. 9:20 a.m. Role o the Scoutmaster

9:20 a.m. 9:55 a.m. Te Patrol Method

9:55 a.m. 10:05 a.m. Break

10:05 a.m. 10:35 a.m. Te roop Meeting

10:35 a.m. 10:55 a.m. Advancement

10:55 a.m. 11:15 a.m. Te Support eam

11:15 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. 12:10 p.m. Annual Planning

12:10 p.m. 12:20 p.m. Wrap-Up

12:20 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Closing

12:30 p.m. 1 p.m. Faculty Reflection (no participants)

Clean up acility (no participants)

Faculty Uniforms

Te course aculty members should set a good example as trainers and representatives o the localcouncil. Accordingly, they are expected to wear the complete and correct Scouting field uniormappropriate to their Scouting positions during the course.

Organizing the Class: Modeling the Patrol Method

Te course is intended to be taught in small groups o five to six participants in order to modeland demonstrate the patrol method, the BSA’s essential, small-group, peer-learning method. Attimes during the course, a aculty member will act as a acilitator or each patrol, modeling therole o a troop guide, with one acilitator or each group o five or six participants. Tereore,the class size will dictate the number o aculty members needed to run the course. Te training


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is intended to be conducted with the minimum amount o lecture. Boys and adults stay withScouting when their patrols and troops are active—in the outdoors, during meetings, and whenlearning. Te learning in this course models the eeling boys get when they belong to a patrol,and the course reinorces the patrol method by example.

Even training sessions that have a small number of participants should still try, as much as possible,to model the patrol method. Consideration should be given to using smaller groups of three or fourScouters in order to re-create the sense of camaraderie.

Te optimum acility will be arranged to accommodate the patrol model. Auditorium-styleseating is nearly always the least effective classroom arrangement or a course such as ScoutmasterPosition-Specific training as it inhibits student interaction, social bonding, and the sharedreinorcement that is the hallmark o the patrol method. raining outside is almost always thebest location!

It is recommended to use a classroom (or picnic table) seating style that encourages collaborationand sharing among the participants, such as the one shown below, which allows all participants tosee the instructor as well as collaborate among the members o the small group:

Be sure to consider any requirements or special access to acilitate participation byScouters with unique circumstances.

Tere should be sufficient open space readily available or the participants to conduct the groupactivities. Be cognizant o the weather and “Be Prepared.”

Faculty Development

Te training team serves as an important recruiting and retention tool or the district andcouncil. Te ability o training teams to deliver effective training programs has proven to have adirect and measurable impact on the success o Scouting.

Faculty development is an ongoing process designed to ensure the quality, consistency, andeffectiveness o the council’s learning programs. Faculty development or ScoutmasterPosition-Specific training is composed o pre- and post-course group sessions, as well as

individual preparation.Pre-course aculty development sessions offer the training team the opportunity to review, assign,and adjust responsibilities or promotion, setup, registration, lesson assignments, and logistics.Faculty development is also an opportunity or team building among the training team. Astrainers also donate their time, talents, and “treasure,” the lead aculty member should endeavorto make the aculty development sessions just as effective, useul, and un as the training coursewill be or the participants.


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Te aculty should practice the presentations so that new trainers may observe the experiencedones, all trainers may practice giving meaningul and constructive eedback, and new trainershave the opportunity to practice in ront o a “riendly” and supportive audience. Practicing thepresentations also provides “insurance” so that other instructors are prepared to step in shouldunoreseen events prevent the primary instructor rom teaching.

During the pre-course aculty development, the ollowing should be accomplished:

• Review the course schedule.

• Review the evaluations rom the previous course or iterations o the same course. — Look or trends rom previous courses and ollow-up evaluations provided by the

unit commissioners.

— Discuss how previous concerns will be addressed and how positive events will be repeatedin this course.

• Assign specific tasks:

— Promotion

— Logistics

— Registration

— roop guides (aculty members assigned to each patrol to acilitate the learning)

• Review opportunities or Fundamentals o raining and rainer’s EDGE to enhancepresentation and acilitating skills.

• Practice the games and the advancement simulation.

• Practice a meaningul opening ceremony.

• Make arrangements or the acility (confirm location, time available, access, parking,usage ees, tables and chairs, flags).

• Be mindul o the budget: Use council procedures or unds accountability.

• Prepare or obtain needed training aids (flip charts, whiteboards, markers, power strips,extension cords, easels, blue tape, computer, projector, screen, activity supplies,

game materials).• Print training materials (handouts, etc.).

• Prepare the location (signs, heating and air conditioning, lighting, registration, clock).

• Obtain needed comort items and rereshments (coffee, snacks, sof drinks, etc.).

• Prepare a clean-up plan.

Evaluation

A suggested participant assessment is provided in the appendix. Consider inviting a neutralparty to the training to monitor and evaluate the course—an observer’s eedback can helpovercome program stagnation. As a ollow-up, provide time in the schedule or the aculty

to reflect on the course.Ensure the unit commissioners check with the participants 90 to180 days afer the course todetermine course effectiveness and suggested improvements. Tis communication also providesan opportunity to receive eedback about supplemental training needs.

Use the post-course eedback to guide council and district supplemental training programs.


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A short, post-course aculty reflection session should be conducted immediately afer the courseconcludes and the participants have departed. Te intent o this session is or the aculty toreflect on the effectiveness o the course just concluded. Reflection is a simple, effective tool orcontinuous improvement. Key to successul reflection is maintaining a spirit o openness andlearning, rather than fixing. Te aculty members should offer their own assessments o theeffectiveness o that day’s lessons and present ideas or improvement.

Several methods can be used or reflection. Among the more common ones used in Scouting are“Start-Stop-Continue,” “Torns, Buds, and Roses,” and “What, So What, What Next,” althoughany model may be used as long as the training team captures the desired outcomes, the actualresults, and why the results were different (both positive and negative) rom those expected.

Once the aculty has completed its internal reflection o the course, members should then reviewthe participants’ assessments. When taken together, the different orms o evaluations will helpthe training team maintain the quality and relevance o the course offerings.

The Simulation

Te advancement simulation is a multipurpose training technique using a game to introducethe Scouts’ advancement program. It encourages aculty interaction with the participants as thetroop guides answer questions within their patrols about advancement. Te simulation also builds

camaraderie and teamwork among the participants, while also modeling healthy competitionbetween patrols. Finally, it reinorces the patrol method by encouraging cooperation within thepatrols as the participants work toward Boy Scout advancement individually and as a patrol.

Have a copy o the advancement tracking sheet (Appendix I) preprinted and waiting at eachparticipant’s seat.

Overview: At different points within the course, a “Scoutmaster” will turn over advancementcards (Appendix J). Each card corresponds to a rank requirement as described on the card.Te rank advancement and merit badge cards have been designed to be printed on card stock.raining teams may choose to laminate them to save printing costs or uture presentations othe course.

Merit badge cards are given out as incentives or participation in the different activities and gamesduring the course. Tere are cards depicting all Eagle-required merit badges (merit badges withwhite borders) and 13 non-required merit badges (green borders). Make enough merit badgecards to allow or two cards per participant or each o the eight sessions. Tat does not meaneach participant will get one—some may get more than one—but that should be an adequatenumber o merit badge cards to run the course.

It is important to note that boys must earn their rank requirements and merit badges. The use ofmerit badges as “rewards” or “incentives” for participation during the course is to make the training funand active for the participants and does not imply that rank requirements and merit badges are given away.

Provide each aculty member with a stack o merit badge cards. Te aculty should give thesemerit badges to the participants as “rewards” or interacting with the aculty as they arrive andduring breaks, and also or participating in the games and exercises. Tis interaction helps ensurethe aculty is ully engaged with the participants and also encourages the participants to engagewith each other during the course. As questions arise about advancement, troop guides shouldensure that participants ully understand how merit badges support and enhance the program.


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As advancement cards are turned over, the participants will fill out their tracking sheets.Te merit badge cards are used or the ranks o Star, Lie, and Eagle. It should be made clearthat participants likely will not complete rank advancement during the course.

Developing the Learning Culture

Scoutmaster Position-Specific training ocuses on the essentials o being a good Scoutmaster. Tetraining builds upon other resources and training opportunities by teaching participants how tosucceed in the near uture as new troop leaders, but does not “crush” them with materials that are

better learned in uture training.

Faculty members should bring their own personalities and enthusiasm to the training sessions,but should not wander rom the desired learning outcomes laid out in this guide. High-quality, supplemental learning programs offered by districts and councils will provide plenty oopportunities or new Scoutmasters to gain the additional skills and tools they will need to growas leaders.

In the months and years to come, opportunities or continuous learning will allow participantsto discover more about Scouting, leadership, and the best practices other Scoutmasters havedeveloped to enhance their troop’s effectiveness in delivering the Boy Scouting program.

Te goal is that every youth has a trained leader. Te training team supports Journey toExcellence goals by creatively seeking ways to train every leader.

Participants should leave the course confident that they have the initial skills and resources theywill need to succeed as Scoutmasters. More importantly, perhaps, is that they leave eeling that thetime they invested in the training was well-spent. People talk. A training team that consistentlydelivers un, active, and high-quality learning experiences will become known. Te opposite isalso true.

Finally, upon completion o this training, new Scoutmasters should eel that they are now part oa bigger group o dedicated, like-minded Scouters. Tey should also know that the district and thecouncil are there to help them with unexpected circumstances, build exciting programs or the

Scouts, and make their commitment to Boy Scouting un or both the boys and the other adultleaders in their troops.

Have un!

Course faculty should ensure that they focus their enthusiasm on this initial training. Wood Badge,Powder Horn, and other advanced training opportunities will be introduced after the participantshave gained some experience as leaders in Boy Scouting.


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Gathering Activity

Time

Te training team should be ready at least 15 minutes beore the planned registration time inorder to meet and greet early arrivals. Te gathering activity ends at the training start time.

Objectives

Te purpose o this activity is to:• Model the gathering activity o a troop meeting

• Provide a un, active way or the participants to get to know each other

• Provide an inormal way or the participants to meet the aculty

• Make the participants eel welcome

Reference

• Troop Program Resources

Materials

• raining attendance report• Materials or the game (see suggestions below)

• Merit badge cards or the aculty to hand out

• Copies o the selected gathering activity page rom Troop Program Resources as a handout

Delivery MethodGame

Preparation

At registration, have a sheet to record the number o years each participant has been involved

in Scouting. Te person with the ewest years should be approached to “volunteer” to be theScoutmaster. Reassure him or her that you will provide the questions he or she needs to ask atthe appropriate time.

Introduction

Te ounder o the Scouting movement, Robert Baden-Powell, is credited with saying, “Scoutingis a game with a purpose.” Tis is especially true when providing a program or Scouts that meetsthe aims o Scouting. Te purpose o a gathering activity beore a troop meeting is to give theboys something un to do as other troop members arrive. When used as part o this training, ithelps the participants eel welcome and makes a first impression o Scouting as un and active.Tis same philosophy would also apply to potential new members who visit the troop—a first

impression o a group that is un, active, and welcoming.

Gathering activities should be simple; they should not require detailed explanation o the rules,and they should encourage participants to share, interact, and easily add new players. Pick oneo the simpler initiative games rom chapter 2 o Troop Program Resources. Some samples maybe ound below. Be sure to mention to the participants the source o these and other appropriategames or the Scouts.


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Te course director and aculty need to arrive early enough to ensure that registration is setup and the first sessions are prepared beore the gathering activity begins (15 minutes beoreregistration start time). Te aculty should be ully able to participate in the activity in orderto begin developing the inormal social bonds that new Scoutmasters will appreciate as theyprogress in Scouting.

Game OptionsTese and other games are ound in Troop Program Resources.

The MazeTis game is similar to “Human Knot,” which participants may have played beore.

Procedure: Te patrol orms a circle. Each patrol member reaches across with his right handand takes someone else’s right hand. Ten each group member takes the lef hand o a differentperson. On signal, two players (appointed beorehand) let go o their right hands only. No oneelse may let go. Tese two “loose ends” will attempt to straighten out the maze o hands into astraight line.

Beach BallEquipment: One or two beach balls

Procedure: Challenge the group to keep a beach ball in the air or 100 hits. I they achieve thegoal, challenge them to go or a record. Play becomes very competitive, and they are competingagainst their own best effort. A player cannot hit the beach ball twice in a row. Use two balls in alarge group.

Ring on a StringEquipment: A small ring that can be hidden in a fist (about 1 inch) and a string or clothesline thatis long enough or all players to handle at once

Procedure: Have the Scouts orm a circle, acing inward, with one Scout in the middle. Slip thestring through the ring and tie the ends together. Place the string inside the circle and have eachScout hold it with both hands. Te idea is to pass the ring around the circle rom hand to hand,unnoticed by the Scout in the middle. Te Scout in the middle says, “Stop,” at which time the

other Scouts stop passing the ring and the Scout in the middle tries to guess where the ring isby pointing to the hand he thinks is holding the ring. I he is correct, the ring holder goes to themiddle and the guesser takes his place in the circle. Te Scout in the middle must keep guessinguntil he locates the ring.

Ring Ball(a version o Keep Away, played in a circle)Equipment: A volleyball, basketball, or rubber gym ball

Procedure: Te Scouts orm a circle. One Scout, chosen to be “It,” is stationed inside the circle.Play begins by passing the ball to a Scout other than It. Te ball is passed around or across thecircle rom Scout to Scout, while It tries to intercept it and orce it to touch the floor. I It can

make the ball touch the floor, the last Scout to have touched the ball goes to the center, and thegame continues. Emphasize to the players that It must make the ball hit the floor. Tus, i a Scoutin the circle can catch the ball beore the ball hits the floor, It has ailed even though he mighthave touched or hit the ball.

IncentiveProvide a random merit badge to each person who participates in the gathering activity. Do nottell the participants the reason or the card at this point.


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Opening and Introductions

Time

15 minutes

Objectives

Te purpose o this session is to:

• Formally introduce the participants to each other• Have the aculty interact with the participants

• Model a meaningul opening

Reference


Materials

• A copy o the course schedule or each participant

• A United States flag

• A troop flag (optional)• A state flag (optional)

• Copy o the advancement checklists (Appendix I)

• Poster o Scout Oath, prominently displayed (may be handwritten)

• Poster o Scout Law, prominently displayed (may be handwritten)

Delivery Method

Ceremony

Preparation

Choose an appropriate opening rom chapter 3 o Troop Program Resources.

Te aculty should practice the opening during aculty development.

Opening

Take a moment to demonstrate the Scout sign and Scout salute. The few participants who do notknow how to perform them may be too shy to ask.

Welcome the participants to the course. Remind them this is the first o the two learning sessionsthat will qualiy them as trained Scoutmasters.

• Highlight the primary reerence materials.

• Conduct a meaningul ceremony.

• Ask a participant to lead the group in the Scout Oath.

• Ask another participant to lead the group in the Scout Law.


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• Briefly introduce the aculty (name and current position is sufficient).

• Have the participants introduce themselves in their patrols.

• Have troop guides briefly explain the advancement simulation to their patrols.

Summary

Nearly everything they will need to know about being a Scoutmaster can be ound in the TroopLeader Guidebook. We will reerence it many times during this course. In act, one way to think

about this course is that it teaches participants to find the answers they will need by using theirTroop Leader Guidebook.

As they may gather rom the opening passages we read about the promise o Scouting, the BoyScout Handbook reflects the heart and soul o Boy Scouting. It is the book that each Scout in thetroop will need to have, as both a guidebook and a manual o possibilities. Between its covers theywill find the lore o Scouting that has evolved rom 1910 to the present. Te Boy Scout Handbook is a guide to outdoor skills, to the values o Scouting, and to ways in which the Scouting programcan be delivered.

Beyond the handbooks or Scoutmasters and Boy Scouts, the BSA offers a host o writtenresources such as Troop Program Resources and Guide to Safe Scouting . We will discuss those

during this course when their importance arises.

Incentive

Provide a merit badge to the participants who volunteered to lead the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Te course director will turn over three advancement cards. ell the participants to check offthe corresponding boxes on the advancement sheet or each card. roop guides should be readyto coach their patrol members.


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Aims and Methods of Scouting

Time

15 minutes

Objectives


• Understand the aims o Scouting• Explain how the Boy Scouting methods achieve the aims o Scouting

• Examine how programs stray rom the aims and methods.

References


• Aims o Scouting handout (Appendix C)

• Age-Appropriate Guidelines or Scouting Activities (Appendix F)

• Te Boy Scout Outdoor Program at: www.scouting.org/Home/OutdoorProgram/BoyScoutOutdoorProgram

Materials

• Flip chart and markers or each small group or patrol

• Tree poster board signs, each with an aim o Scouting written in large letters

Delivery Method

Brainstorming as a troop (ull group)

Introduction

Tis session is intended or the participants to learn how Boy Scouting uses its unique, age-

appropriate methods to achieve the aims o Scouting.

Aims of Scouting

Ask the troop to name the aims o Scouting. As they provide the aims (character development,citizenship, and physical and mental fitness), a aculty member will post one o the three posterboard signs in a prominent position.

Ask the participants to define each aim briefly in order to take the participants’ understandingbeyond a simple listing o the three aims. Tey may use their handouts as a reerence.

Aims of Scouting:

Character Development

Citizenship Training

Physical and Mental Fitness


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How Programs Stray

Once the participants begin discussing experiences they have had as they applied the methodsto the Boy Scouting program, lead them into a brie discussion o potential pitalls to avoid. Tisdiscussion is intended to allow them to apply their past Scouting and personal experiences totheir roles as Scoutmasters.

Potential answers may include:

• Adults setting low expectations or youth leaders

• Adults not adapting to their changing roles as they progress through the different programs(or example, the Webelos den leader who becomes an assistant Scoutmaster but continues totreat Boy Scouts like Cub Scouts)

• Straying rom the age-appropriate guidelines set by the BSA—or example, letting youngeryouth participate in older-Scout activities

• Not conducting the program according to BSA guidelines

• Favoritism in recognition

• Multiple standards

Be careful not to let this discussion devolve into a complaining session.

Incentive

Once the patrols have finished discussing how they might avoid straying rom the aims andmethods, have the participant Scoutmaster turn over three more advancement cards. Teparticipants should check off corresponding boxes on their advancement sheets.

Conclusion

Boy Scouting is a program that serves youth rom 10 through 17 years old. Scoutmasters must

stay true to the aims o Scouting and help youth leaders in troops plan and lead exciting, un, andsae activities using the methods o the Boy Scouting program.


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Role of the Scoutmaster

Time

20 minutes

Objectives


• Discuss the qualities o a Scoutmaster in a boy-led troop• Describe what a Scoutmaster must be, know, and do

Reference


Materials

• Flip charts and markers

Delivery Method

Small-group discussion

Qualities of a Scoutmaster

Te participants will describe their image o a Scoutmaster. Tey should discover the qualitiesand skills they should possess or learn in order to be effective Scoutmasters.

As the participants brainstorm the qualities and skills o an effective Scoutmaster, list theiranswers on a whiteboard or flip chart. Be sure the ollowing qualities and skills are included:

• Works well with boys

• Cares about Scouts and ensures their saety

• eaches Scouts how to do things or themselves

• Understands the Scouting program

• Sets a positive example

• Is comortable in the outdoors

• Develops the other adult leaders

• Communicates well with adults and Scouts

Explain that all o the qualities and skills needed to be an effective Scoutmaster can be dividedinto three categories: what a Scoutmaster must BE, KNOW, and DO. By recognizing thesequalities, a person is well on the way to becoming a successul and effective Scoutmaster.

Be, Know, DoGive each patrol three sheets o flip chart paper, with BE, KNOW, and DO already written at thetop o each, and a marker.

Ask each patrol to spend five minutes brainstorming what a Scoutmaster should be, know, anddo and then record their answers. Afer five minutes, have the patrols contribute answers to thegroup. Tis may be done by having each patrol provide one answer or each category until all


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answers are exhausted or by having a patrol present their answers or a single category and thenhaving the other patrols add to the first patrol’s list.

B e Know Do

Answers should include at least the ollowing:

A Scoutmaster must BE …

• A good role model or the leadership skills expected o the boys• A coach and a guide as the boys grow through Scouting

• An example or the aims o Scouting

—Exemplary character

—Model citizen

—Physically fit, mentally awake, and morally straight

• Approachable

• Respectul

• rusted

A Scoutmaster must KNOW …• Tat Boy Scouting works best when the boys are the leaders

• Tat the patrol method is the best way to run a troop

• Te basic skills that are expected rom the boys

• How to use the Guide to Safe Scouting in developing the troop’s program

• Te tools and resources available rom the district and council

—Unit commissioners

—raining opportunities or youth and adults

—Roundtables and supplemental training opportunities

—High-adventure opportunities to keep older boys enthusiastic


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A Scoutmaster must DO …

• Everything he can to help the boys become confident leaders

• Appropriate modeling so Scouts apply the aims o Scouting in their daily lives

• Needed training to develop assistant Scoutmasters

• His own recurring and supplemental training to improve and reresh his Scouting skills

• Te work needed to partner with the troop committee

• Everything necessary to communicate effectively with boys, parents, and other leaders inthe troop

• Everything needed to uphold the standards o the BSA and the chartered organization

“Be, know, and do” is a proven leadership development methodology that has been used successfullythrough the years by the BSA.

Once the patrols have presented their results, encourage others to add their own ideas. Tepatrols should add the other patrols’ ideas to their pages. Afer all the ideas have been gatheredand recorded, post the patrols’ pages on the wall so everyone may reer to them during the course.

IncentiveTe instructor should award a merit badge to the participants who give particularly goodanswers. roop guides should award a merit badge to participants who encourage and acilitateparticipation by others in their patrols.

While a aculty member posts the Be-Know-Do pages on the walls, have the participantScoutmaster turn over three more advancement cards. Te participants should check offcorresponding boxes on their advancement sheets.

Summary

Scoutmasters have important roles to play to ensure a successul Scouting experience or theScouts and or the chartered organization. Te best Scoutmasters give the Scouts opportunities tolearn, practice, and demonstrate good leadership in Scout-led troops.


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The Patrol Method

Time

35 minutes

Objectives


• Understand what a Boy Scout patrol is• Describe the different types o patrols

• List the members o the patrol leadership and briefly describe their duties

• Understand the importance o patrol meetings

Reference


Materials

• Flip charts and markers (different color or each patrol)

• Stopwatch (or watch with a second hand)

Delivery Method

Game and guided discussion

Preparation

Have our flip chart pages prepared as shown. Have additional pages available to add i theparticipants fill up a page during the activity.

What Is a Patrol? Kinds of Patrols Patrol Leadership Why Patrol

Meetings?


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Introduction

Baden-Powell amously said: “Te patrol method is not a way to operate a Boy Scout troop, it isthe only way. Unless the patrol method is in operation you don’t really have a Boy Scout troop.”

In Scouting, a troop is composed o several patrols. Boy Scouting happens in the context o apatrol. Te patrol, a small team o eight or so Scouts, is more than an organizational convenienceor a Boy Scout version o the Cub Scout den. It is the place where boys learn skills, take onleadership responsibilities, and develop riendships that will ofen last throughout their lietimes.

In this session, we will define a patrol, understand the different kinds o patrols, discuss patrolleadership, and appreciate the importance o regular patrol meetings.

Chapter 3 of the Troop Leader Guidebook is full of important information. The syllabus uses a gameto get the participants involved rather than lecturing to them. It also models a way that is very effectivewith Scouts who are full of energy and who have been sitting in school most of the day.

Game

Have the troop guides post the previously prepared flip chart pages around the room. Each patrolis given a different color o marker and will be assigned to one o the our questions. Do not tell

them which question they will be assigned beore giving the instructions. Te patrols should usethe Troop Leader Guidebook to help them answer the questions.

When the acilitator says “Go,” each patrol will go to their assigned question. Tey will have oneminute to write down their answers. Stress that neatness in handwriting counts, as the otherpatrols must be able to read and understand the other patrols’ answers.

Afer one minute, the patrols rotate to the next question and add to the previous patrols’ answers.Do not give a break as they rotate (patrols will not have a ull minute on rounds two and three).

One minute later, the patrols rotate again and add more answers.

For the ourth round, give the patrols two minutes. Tis extra time will allow them to read the

chapter in the Troop Leader Guidebook a bit more slowly, and they may pick up some o thesmaller points that were missed by the other patrols.

Once the participants have taken their seats again, have the troop guides move the completedflip charts to the ront o the room. Determine which patrol gave the most answers (based on thedifferent marker colors or each patrol), and declare a winner.

Reflection

Q: What was the point o the game we just played?

A: o model the patrol method, an active way o learning, and have un

Q: What elements o the patrol method did you observe?

A: eam effort, leadership, competition, camaraderie, developing riendshipsQ: How might you use this short example to ensure un, exciting, and active troop meetings?

A: each Scouts to incorporate the games and skill-development activities rom Troop ProgramResources into their troop meeting plans, and encourage Scouts to devise their own ways omaking troop meetings un, exciting, and active.

Provide a merit badge to participants who contribute to the reflection.


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What Is a Patrol?

• Basic unit of a troop• 6-8 Scouts• Has a boy leader

• Has a name• Has a fag

• Has a yell• Camps together • Competes as a team• Leads ceremonies• Are semipermanent

Kinds of Patrols

• New-Scout patrol• Traditional patrol• Older-Scout patrol

• National Honor Patrol(award)

Patrol Leadership• Patrol leader

• Assistantpatrol leader

• Scribe• Quartermaster • Cheermaster • Troop guide

(as coach)

• Patrol advisor(as advisor)

Why PatrolMeetings?

• Plan patrol activities• Collect the dues• Prepare for outings• Clean and repair gear • Play games• Work on skills• Rehearse ceremonies


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Lead a guided discussion on the different kinds o patrols. Ask the participants to describe thethree kinds o patrols. Write their answers on a whiteboard or another flip chart.

New-Scout Patrol• Just joined the troop

at the same time

• New to Scouting

• Were probably a Webelos denor group of friends

• Patrol leaders serveshorter terms

• Has an older Scout to assistthem (troop guide)

• Has an assistantScoutmaster tocoach them

Traditional Patrol• Friends with similar

interests and abilities

• Chose to be in the

patrol together • Range of ages

(no more than three yearsbetween oldestand youngest)

Older-Scout Patrol• Experienced Scouts

• 14 years or older

• Participate in higher

adventures (see age-appropriate guidelines)

• Serve as youth leaders• Keeps older Scouts

engaged and contributing

Ask what might be the advantages and disadvantages o each. Answers should include:• A new-Scout patrol can be a positive and encouraging way o integrating new boys into a

troop who have just arrived rom Cub Scouting.

• New-Scout and traditional patrols offer opportunities to learn and practice leadership early.

• Patrols succeed when the troop assigns one o its best Scouts to serve as the troop guide andhelp the younger Scouts succeed. Te opposite is also true.

Many troops assign an assistant Scoutmaster, called a patrol advisor, to each patrol. At a minimum,an assistant Scoutmaster should serve as patrol advisor to the new-Scout patrol. The patrol advisoradvises and supports the patrol leader and troop guide, but does not take over their responsibilitiesin any way.

• Older Scouts may have a “been-there-done-that” attitude. An older-Scout patrol will providethese Scouts an experience that is more closely related to the types o activities and challengesappropriate or older Scouts.

An assistant Scoutmaster assigned to the older-Scout patrol helps the members turn their outing ideasinto action. He or she works to ensure that patrol activities complement, rather than conflict with, troopactivities and may also guide the members along the trail to the Eagle Scout rank.

Balancing the Patrols’ Needs

Most patrol activities take place in the context o troop activities, but that doesn’t mean that everypatrol has to do the same things on every outing. Give each patrol a different theme rom TroopProgram Resources that is appropriate to your area (e.g., snow sports may not be appropriate or aFlorida troop or water sports or an Alaska troop).

Ask each patrol to take five minutes to discuss and design a weekend outing that addresses theneeds o the three types o patrols. At the end o the five minutes, have a patrol representativedescribe their weekend to the group.


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This activity serves the dual purpose of getting the patrol to share ideas based on their assigned themeand also sparking new ideas for troop activities from the whole group.

Afer the patrols present their ideas, the instructor should remind the group that all three typeso patrols may conduct activities separate rom the troop i they ollow these guidelines:

• Te Scoutmaster and the participants’ parents give permission.

• Te activity doesn’t conflict with the troop calendar.

• Te policies in the Guide to Safe Scouting are ollowed, including the need or two-deepadult leadership.

With proper training, guidance, and approval, a patrol can conduct day hikes and service projectswithout the presence o adult leaders. However, appropriate adult leadership must be present orall overnight Scouting activities.

To help reduce opportunities for bullying, there should be no more than three years of age differencebetween a patrol’s oldest and youngest members.

National Honor Patrol Award

An easy way to build patrol spirit is to promote the National Honor Patrol Award, which is givento patrols that meet prescribed requirements over a three-month period. Te requirements arelisted below.

Ask the participants to reer to the Troop Leader Guidebook, and have them share therequirements or the National Honor Patrol Award. Record their answers on a whiteboard or flipchart. Teir answers should include:

• Have a patrol name, flag, and yell. Put the patrol design on equipment, and use the patrol yell.Keep patrol records up to date.

• Hold two patrol meetings every month.

• ake part in at least one hike, outdoor activity, or other Scouting event.• Complete two Good urns or service projects approved by the patrol leaders’ council.

• Help two patrol members advance one rank.

• Wear the ull uniorm correctly at troop activities (at least 75 percent o thepatrol’s membership).

• Have a representative attend at least three patrol leaders’ council meetings.

• Have eight members in the patrol, or experience an increase in patrol membership over theprevious three months.

If the issue comes up about using the patrol method in a very small troop, it is recommended that

the instructor refer the questioner to the Troop Leader Guidebook , make a point of following up withthe questioner during a break, and ensure the unit commissioner is prepared to help the Scoutmasterwith the challenges of a small troop.


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Summary

Te patrol is the primary element in a successul troop. Te patrol leaders and youth troopleaders—called the patrol leaders’ council—lead the troop. Your advancement sheets reinorcethe importance o the patrol method and the understanding that the patrol is a requirementor Second Class. We will continue to use the patrol method throughout the course.

Incentive

Award a merit badge to the participants who answer the questions. Te participant Scoutmasterturns over another three advancement cards. Te participants should check off correspondingboxes on their advancement sheets.

Take a 10-minute break

Remember, this is an opportunity or the participants to interact inormally with the acultymembers and ask questions or which they need more detailed explanations than timepermitted during the lessons. roop guides should take note o any previously unansweredquestions and ollow up with those participants during the break.

Te aculty should distribute merit badges to those who engage with the aculty and withother participants on topics related to leadership and Scouting in general. Be liberal.


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The Troop Meeting

Time

30 minutes

Objectives


• Explore the purposes o troop meetings• Discuss the value o using the troop meeting plan

• Explain the importance o allowing a troop meeting to be planned, conducted, and reviewedby the Scouts themselves

• Review the vital role a Scoutmaster plays by providing coaching, support, and leadershipto Scouts

Reference


Materials• Flip charts and markers

Handouts

• roop Meeting Plan rom www.scouting.org/filestore/pd/34425.pd and Program Features forTroops, Teams, and Crews, Volume 1 (one per participant)

• Extracts rom Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews (choose a different programtheme or each patrol) and three copies o a different monthly program theme or eachpatrol. For example, one patrol gets three copies o the Hiking program theme, another getsBackpacking, and so on.

Delivery MethodGuided discussion

Introduction

Do boys join Scouting just to attend meetings? Te answer is probably no. Ask them, and theywill say they joined to have un, set out on adventures, make riends, learn new skills, and explorethe outdoors.

roop meetings can be the catalyst that makes all o that possible or Scouts, but or that tohappen, the meetings must be ast-paced, interesting, and varied. Tey need to lead towardexciting patrol activities in the outdoors. Tey need to be the glue that holds a troop’s patrolstogether. Properly conducted, they can be all o that and more.

Why Have Troop Meetings?

roop meetings serve many purposes, including these:

• Motivating Scouts

• Strengthening patrols


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• Promoting patrol spirit

• Encouraging Scouts to learn and practice Scouting skills

• Allowing Scouts to exercise leadership

As a tool or delivering the promise o Scouting, troop meetings are especially effective becausethey are planned, organized, and carried out by the Scouts themselves. Scouts take ownership othe meetings and are empowered to lead the events that make up each meeting.

O course, Scouting gives boys the resources they need to make their troop meetings successul.As Scoutmasters, you can provide the support and guidance that will allow them to make themost o those resources.

The troop meeting plan is a format that has developed over many years of Scouting experience.It presents Scouts with a very effective way to put together troop meetings that are enjoyable,productive, and meaningful and that stay within a reasonable time frame.

Using the Troop Meeting Plan

Perhaps the most important resource or helping Scouts develop effective troop meetings

is the tried-and-true method called the troop meeting plan. A blank roop Meeting Plan can beound in Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews. On their tables, participants will find anexample o a monthly program theme. ake a moment to review the theme or your patrol andnote that it provides suggestions or the patrol leaders’ council to run an entire month’s worth oun and productive meetings related to the theme as well as ideas or the monthly outdoor event.ell participants that i their troop does not already have copies o Program Features for Troops,Teams, and Crews available, they can find it at Scout shops, at Scoutstuff.org, or in a Kindle version at amazon.com.

Point out that the meeting plan involves seven distinct parts:

• Preopening

• Opening

• Skills instruction

• Patrol meetings

• Interpatrol activity

• Closing

• Afer the meeting

In discussing the essential elements of a troop meeting, the following descriptions will be useful.Participants can also find this information in the Troop Leader Guidebook .

Preopening

As Scouts begin to arrive or a troop meeting, the senior patrol leader or an older Scoutassigned by the senior patrol leader should get them involved in a game or project designed sothat additional Scouts can join in as they show up. Te preopening is ofen well-suited orthe outdoors.


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Patrol Meetings

Afer skills instruction, the senior patrol leader will announce that it is time or each patrol to goto its designated meeting area, usually in the same room (or outdoor area) as the troop meeting.Each patrol leader takes charge o his patrol’s meeting.

Note: Tis short session is different rom the patrol meeting that takes place outsideo the troop meeting.

Matters to be handled during the patrol meeting include taking attendance, collecting dues,planning the patrol’s involvement in upcoming troop activities, selecting menus or hikes andcampouts, assigning patrol members to specific tasks, and working out any other details or thesmooth operation o the patrol. Te length o the patrol meetings will depend upon how muchbusiness the patrols must handle.

Interpatrol Activity

Led by the senior patrol leader or an assistant senior patrol leader, this part o the meeting allowsall the patrols to interact with one another in a competition or in a cooperative effort. Te activitycould be a game that tests the skills Scouts are learning or an upcoming event—a race by eachpatrol to set up a tent properly, or example, or or patrol members to tie a set o knots correctly.

Games involving teamwork and ethical decision making may also be appropriate.Closing

Te closing is the Scoutmaster’s portion o the meeting.

Te Scouts should be paying attention. It may help to dim the lights and have everyone seated.Outstanding business can be dealt with first, such as reminders or upcoming meetings oroutings. Scouts who have advanced since the last meeting can be recognized. Tis is also a goodtime to praise Scouts or Good urns, positive ethical decisions, and jobs well done.

Te heart o the closing is the Scoutmaster’s Minute—the Scoutmaster’s opportunity to share astory based on Scouting’s values. Personal experiences or one o the many Scoutmaster’s Minutes

ound in the “Ready Reerences” chapter o the Troop Leader Guidebook can be used.Te story should contain a thought or the Scouts to carry home with them. Te closing may alsoinclude a simple ceremony, a song, or a prayer.

After the Meeting

At the end o the meeting, the service patrol or the week puts away any troop equipment andreturns the room to its original condition.

Meanwhile, the senior patrol leader should meet briefly with members o the patrol leaders’council and the Scoutmaster to review the meeting, make plans or the next meeting, and decidewhich patrol will be the upcoming service patrol.

Planning

Later in Scoutmaster Position-Specific training, long-range program planning or a troop willbe addressed.


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• Showing dependability through positions o responsibility

• Learning new skills

• Instructing others in Scout skills

It is important to remember that in the end, a badge recognizes that the Scout has gone throughan experience o learning something he didn’t previously know. As a result, through increasedconfidence, he discovers or realizes he is able to learn similar skills or disciplines. Advancement isthus about what a young man is now able to learn and to do, and how he has grown.

Scouting offers young boys tremendous opportunities to learn a wide range o skills and togrow through the BSA’s experiential learning method that is part o the advancement program. Asa Scout advances, he grows in confidence and sel-reliance, and he builds upon his skillsand abilities.

Brainstorm different methods and activities the unit can use to guide Scouts throughadvancement. Answers might include:

• Skill sessions during Scout meetings

• Campout planning

• Meetings with a merit badge counselor beore Scout meetings or afer school

• Patrol meetings outside the troop meeting with troop guide or troop instructor present• roop camping, service projects, and one-day activities

• Long-term camping

• High-adventure activities

• Council specialty camps (aquatics camp, climbing camp, etc.)

• National Outdoor Awards

Many resources are available to a Scoutmaster to provide ideas on ways to plan activities throughwhich boys learn skills and advance through Scouting. Ask participants to name some resourcesthey are aware o that can help units with their planning. Answers might include:

• Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews

• Boy Scout Handbook

• Fieldbook

• Boys’ Life

• Roundtable programs

• University o Scouting courses

• Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills training

Tere are our steps in Boy Scout advancement. Tey are:

• Te Scout learns.

• Te Scout is tested.• Te Scout is reviewed.

• Te Scout is recognized.

Te BSA’s advancement program provides positive reinorcement to the Scouts. Recognitionis achieved through the badges they earn and meaningul presentation ceremonies. Just asimportant, though, is the sincere support that adults offer young people throughout theirexperience within and beyond Scouting.


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Incentive

Award a merit badge to participants who answer the questions.

Unit Advancement Coordinator

Te troop committee is responsible or keeping the advancement records. Te committee willinclude an advancement coordinator, who has these responsibilities:

• Support the Scoutmaster’s vision or advancement

• Help stimulate the advancement program

• Help plan regular courts o honor

• Obtain the necessary badges and certificates

• Arrange or timely boards o review

• Maintain unit advancement records

• Report unit advancement to the local council

• Maintain the unit’s merit badge counselor list

• Work with youth leadership to maintain a troop library o advancement literature

The Scoutmaster and AdvancementWhile the Scoutmaster has many responsibilities related to advancement, let’s highlight a ew thatare asked about most requently. See the Guide to Advancement or details.

• Leading the youth to plan a program rich in opportunities for advancement. Aundamental principle o advancement shall be that the boy’s progress is a natural outcome ohis activities in his unit.

• Selecting and training those who approve advancement. Once a Scout has been tested andsigned off by someone the Scoutmaster has approved to do so, the requirement has been met.

As with any educational opportunity, however, simply signing off a requirement is not the endo the learning process. Afer a requirement has been passed, the unit program should

continue to place the Scout in practical situations that build retention through repeateduse o skills.

Ask the participants or examples o how the unit program should reinorce the skills theScouts have learned.

• Approving service hours. Service hours or ranks other than Eagle call or participation only.Planning, development, or leadership is not to be required. Pre-approval is important becauseit calls on a boy to think about what might be accepted, and to be prepared to discuss it.

• Coaching on positions of responsibility. Te unit should provide clearly establishedexpectations or each youth accepting a position o responsibility. I those expectations arenot being met, it is the Scoutmaster’s responsibility to address the situation promptly.

• Issuing and receiving blue cards (Application for Merit Badge). A Scout may begin workingon any merit badge at any time he chooses. However, when he desires to begin working with amerit badge counselor, he must meet with the Scoutmaster to have a discussion about his plansand to obtain the name o a registered and approved merit badge counselor. Te Scoutmasterand Scout should come to agreement on the counselor. Lacking agreement, however, the Scoutmust be allowed to work with the counselor o his choice, so long as the counselor is registeredand has been approved by the council advancement committee.


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Later, afer the merit badge counselor has signed the blue card indicating that the merit badgehas been completed, the Scout returns the blue card to the Scoutmaster once again to discusshis experience and get the Scoutmaster’s final signature on the card. Tis discussion is not orthe purpose o approving completion o the merit badge, which has already been done by thecounselor. Once it’s earned, it’s earned.

• Conducting Scoutmaster conferences. Te Scoutmaster conerence is a way or theScoutmaster to gauge the health o the troop and ensure each Scout is succeeding. It isintended to be a rewarding opportunity or both the Scoutmaster and the boy, helping him

to grow in Scouting. It is not a test; a Scout is required only to participate—not “pass” theconerence—in order to proceed to a board o review.

Te Guide to Advancement notes that while the Scoutmaster conerence is ofen held “afer theother requirements or a rank are met, it is not required that it be the last step beore the board oreview.” Some Scoutmasters hold more than one conerence along the way, and any one o themmay count toward the requirement.

For all advancement-related questions, your authoritative resources are the current editions o theGuide to Advancement and Boy Scout Requirements.

Incentive

Te participant Scoutmaster turns over another three advancement cards. Te participants shouldcheck off corresponding boxes on their advancement sheets.

Summary

Advancement is an important part o the Boy Scouting program. Keep advancement inperspective, however. It is not an end in itsel, but rather it is one o several methods designed tohelp unit leadership achieve the aims and mission o the Boy Scouts o America. A Scout troopwith an active outdoor program will naturally have a strong advancement program. And statisticsshow that a strong advancement program leads to increased satisaction and retention o Scouts.


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The Support Team

Time

20 minutes

Objectives


• Explain the role o the unit committee• Describe the organization o the unit committee

• Introduce the support available rom the local council

Reference

• Troop Committee Guidebook

Handouts

• A list o the next three months o district and council supporting activities (roundtables,supplemental training opportunities, youth and adult leadership training, etc.)

• BSA organizational structure (Appendix D)

Materials

• Whiteboard or flip chart and easel, markers

• Poster, “Role o roop Committee” (Appendix B)

Delivery Method

Guided discussion

Introduction

Share with the participants that a Scoutmaster does not “fly solo.” Tere are many other Scouterswhose role is to help them serve the Scouts in their troops. Tey include their troop committeesand the district and council support teams.

It may seem obvious, but ask the participants, “What is a unit committee?”

Explain that the committee is composed o a minimum o three members, one o whom serves ascommittee chair. Tere is no maximum number o committee members. Committee members aremost ofen parents o boys in the troop and chartered organization members who are interestedin youth programs. For those parents who want to get involved, service on the unit committeemay allow them to leverage their special expertise.

In this session, we are going to discuss the unctions perormed by the unit committees.

Role of Unit Committee

Give each patrol a blank sheet o flip chart paper. Ask each patrol to write down our to five thingsthe unit committee does or the troop. Give them two to three minutes to record their answers.

Have the patrols present their conclusions. Teir lists should include:

• Recruits and trains quality adult leadership


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Incentive

Award a merit badge to the participants who answer the questions.

District and Council

In addition to the troop committee, the council and district are available to supportthe Scoutmasters in delivering a quality, outdoor-oriented program or the Scouts.

Te our unctions o councils and districts:

• Membership and relationships

• Finance

• Quality program

• Unit service

Some examples o council and district support include:

• District roundtables: monthly gatherings where units gather or program ideas, supplementaltraining, ellowship, and inormation

• District camporees: camping and competition among troops

• Youth and adult training: NYL, University o Scouting, specialized supplemental training

events, Powderhorn, Wood Badge

• Summer camp: usually the highlight o the Scouting year

• Order o the Arrow: provides leadership training and promotes and supports summer camp,camporees, and council activities

• Recognition: awards, Eagle dinner, district banquet

Review the calendar showing the next ew months o district and council supportingactivities, and encourage participants to take advantage o roundtables, supplemental trainingopportunities, and leadership training or their troops’ youth and adults.

Share with them that each troop has an advocate, riend, coach, and counselor who is waiting

and wanting to help them, called a unit commissioner. Teir unit commissioners stand readyto help the troops succeed.

Unit Commissioners

Unit service is accomplished through the commissioners. Unit commissioners areexperienced district Scouters whose role is to help the troops succeed through meaningulcontacts and exceptional service. Tey can also identiy and help solve troop challengesbeore they become problems.

Te role o the unit commissioner is to be a:

• Friend o the troop: serves as an advocate to the district or the troop

• Representative: represents the ideals, principles, and policies o the BSA• eacher: provides best practices, helps solve challenges, and reinorces training programs

• Counselor: external observer and empathetic coach who identifies opportunities includingtraining, activities, leadership skills, health and saety, and more

One o the unit commissioner’s primary unctions is to ensure on-time charter renewal. Te unitcommissioner will also assist with new leader orientation, training, record keeping, and budgetingi asked to help.


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Should a problem arise with a troop, the unit commissioner should be the first person contactedor help. Commissioners have access to the ull range o district and council resources to helpsolve whatever challenge a troop is acing.

Challenges commissioners are trained to deal with include:

• Poor youth retention

• No youth recruiting

• Stagnant or no program

• Poor quality or no troop meetings

• Uninvolved parents

• Shortage o active adults

• Untrained youth and adult leadership

• Chartered organization’s dissatisaction with the troop

Advise the participants that their unit commissioner is an outstanding district resource who istrained and ready to help them succeed as adult leaders. Encourage the Scoutmasters to buildstrong relationships with their unit commissioners.

Summary

Te troop committee plays a very important role in the success o a unit’s program—it takescare o the supporting unctions in order or the unit leadership to ocus on the Scouts. Terelationship between the Scoutmaster and the troop committee should be one o riendship andtrust. Difficult issues are sure to conront troop leaders now and then. Te Scoutmaster should beable to turn to the committee at any time or assistance, support, and encouragement.

Share with the participants that there is a training course or troop committee members called theroop Committee Challenge. Provide the dates or the next course, and urge the Scoutmasters toencourage their troop committee to take advantage o the course.

Incentive

Te participant Scoutmaster turns over another three advancement cards. Te participants shouldcheck off corresponding boxes on their advancement sheets.

Conclusion

Scoutmasters should never eel that they must go it alone.

Te district, the council, and the BSA provide consistency, resources, activities, and supportthat makes Scouting possible. Te troop committee is there to shoulder much o the weighto making a troop successul, thus reeing Scoutmasters to invest their time and energy indeveloping youth leaders.

The expanded support team graphic on the next page will help the faculty member explainthe different roles of all the elements of Boy Scouting available to help the Scoutmaster succeed.


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National Council of theBoy Scouts of America

District

Area

TroopCommittee

Region

CharteredOrganization

Local Council

Troop

• Develops programs• Sets and maintains standards (training,

leadership, uniorming, registration,literature, advancement)

• Provides acilitiesor year-round program

• Issues charters to community sponsors• Supports district and unit leaders

• Mobilizes resources to ensure Scoutingsucceeds and grows

• rains and supports unit volunteers

• Provides district programs

• “Owns” the troop• Receives the national charter• Provides sae meeting place, appoints

a troop committee, selects theScoutmaster

• Approves all adult leaders

• Supports the Scoutmaster and youthleadership in delivering high-quality,year-round program

• Handles unit administrationand logistics

Take a 15-minute break

Tis break is a little longer than the previous one because the participants will likely havemore questions or the troop guides and aculty members than they had during the firstbreak. As earlier, the troop guides should take note o any previously unanswered questions

and ollow up with those participants during the break.Pass out merit badges to those who engage with the aculty and with other participants ontopics related to leadership and Scouting in general.


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Annual Planning

Time

40 minutes

Objectives


• Stress the importance o Scoutmasters guiding their troops’ annual program planning andthen sticking with those plans

• Discuss ways to involve Scouts in planning a troop’s program, in eeling invested in it, and intaking responsibility or bringing it to lie

• Explore how the planning process allows troop members to connect their activities with the values o Scouting

• Direct participants to resources that will help them conduct effective troop program planning

• Speak to the needs o Scoutmasters with varying experience, specifically:

—Te new Scoutmaster, especially one with a new troop

—Te Scoutmaster o an established troop with boys representing a wide range o agesand experience levels

References


• Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews, Volumes 1, 2, and 3

Handouts

• roop Resources Survey (one per participant)

• roop Annual Plan (one per participant)

Materials

Excerpts rom the program eatures or each patrol that were used in the roop MeetingPlan lesson

• Print copies o several different monthly programs or each patrol to use; or example,Backpacking or Patrol 1, First Aid or Patrol 2, Citizenship or Patrol 3, etc.

• Be sure to include the overview, troop meeting plans, and outdoor program plan

• Copies o the roop Meeting Plan, one per participant

Delivery Method

Small-group discussion

Why Planning?

One o the key elements o a successul troop and an indicator o a potentially successul year isthe troop’s annual program plan and planning conerence.


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Do Your Homework

Prior to an annual troop program planning meeting, troop leaders need to plot out on a calendarwhat’s going on in the coming year or their community, churches, schools, personal lives, etc.With the calendar as a resource, the patrol leaders’ council can schedule troop events so they donot conflict with other activities.

• Ask the patrols or suggestions o priorities or their troop in the coming year. Write thesuggestions on a flip chart. Te list may look something like this:

—Attend summer camp. —Have an outdoor adventure at least once a month.

—Do a Good urn or the community.

—Have at least one activity other than a troop meeting each month.

—Earn the National Camping Award.

—Conduct a undraising activity to secure money or new tents and other camping gear.

• Draw up a general outline o the annual program. Make it as flexible as possible while stillulfilling the accomplishments envisioned or the troop. For example, a troop’s annual planshould, at a minimum, include at least our short-term overnight campouts to meet theJourney to Excellence Bronze standard.

• Meet with your senior patrol leader to review your outline. Share with him your thoughtson the coming year, and seek his input. He may have very good ideas that have not occurredto you.

• In discussions with the senior patrol leader, a Scoutmaster next explores the range o optionsthat are available to the troop. For example, a Scoutmaster may eel that the needs o the troopcan be achieved best by adopting any o 20 selected program eatures. Paring down thosepossibilities to a dozen—one or each month—will be a task or the troop’s annual planningconerence chaired by the senior patrol leader.

Get Patrol Input

A troop’s annual program should be driven by what the boys want to do, not by what adultspreer. Involving all the Scouts in a troop in the planning process helps ensure that this will be thecase. Here is one scenario or canvassing the ideas o troop members:

• Te senior patrol leader shares an outline o the annual program plan, complete with options,with other members o the patrol leaders’ council.

• Each patrol leader presents the general plan and options to his patrol or discussion.Where there are specific choices, patrol members can make their wishes known. I theyhave additional ideas they eel will improve the plan, they can communicate that inormationto their patrol leader also. Te senior patrol leader puts the potential monthly themeson a ballot, leads troop members in a discussion o the choices, and then offers them the

opportunity to vote.• Afer the patrol leaders have gathered input rom patrol members, the patrol leaders’ council

and other key troop leaders are ready to meet.


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Hold a Troop Program Planning Conference

Te troop program planning conerence is at the heart o determining a troop’s activities orthe coming six months or year. Members o the patrol leaders’ council, the Scoutmaster, and theassistant Scoutmasters should attend.

Consult With the Troop Committee

Te senior patrol leader and Scoutmaster present the proposed troop program to the troop

committee and ask or their support. I the committee believes the plan should be revised, thesenior patrol leader will consult again with the patrol leaders’ council beore changes are made.

Te troop committee lends its support to the program plan afer the youth leaders o the troophave developed it. Te committee also has the right o reusal i it eels the program plan is unsaeor otherwise unwise or the troop to pursue. (During its monthly meetings, the troop committeewill review the troop program plan with the Scoutmaster and discuss how committee memberscan most appropriately provide support.)

Te Scoutmaster delegates parts o the plan to assistant Scoutmasters to provide the necessaryadult guidance and accountability.

Announce the Troop’s Annual PlanDistribute photocopies o the final plan to troop members, the parent or guardian o each Scout,members o the troop committee, and representatives o the chartered organization. Be sure toinclude the chartered organization representative and any other relevant individuals rom thechartered organization (the organization’s leader, secretary, building custodian, etc.).

Publicize the Troop’s Annual Plan

Communicating the annual plan through a variety o outlets serves valuable purposes orthe troop:

• It helps members plan or upcoming activities.

• It keeps parents, committees, and chartered organizations aware o the current and utureactivities o the troop.

• It serves as an effective recruitment tool.

Summary

Remind participants that Scoutmasters will find that their role as troop leaders will be mucheasier when they put energy into ensuring that the annual troop program planning process occursand that the patrol leaders’ council does monthly short-term planning. Tey will also discoverthat their responsibilities are simplified when they rely upon assistant Scoutmasters and the troopcommittee or assistance and guidance.

Finally, point out that everything discussed in this presentation can be ound in BSA literature,specifically the Troop Leader Guidebook; Program Features for Troops, Teams, and Crews, Volumes1, 2, and 3; and Troop Program Resources.


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Closing

Time

10 minutes

Objectives


• Model a meaningul closing ceremony • Leave the participants with a sense o confidence and enthusiasm

Reference


• Patrol Leader Handbook

Delivery Method

Ceremony

PreparationChoose an appropriate closing rom chapter 3 o Troop Program Resources. Faculty membersshould practice the closing ceremony during aculty development.


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Appendix

Appendix A: Equipment and Materials

Appendix B: Samples o Course Posters

Appendix C: Aims o Scouting

Appendix D: Organization o Boy Scouting

Appendix E: What Makes a rained Leader?

Appendix F: Age-Appropriate Guidelines or Scouting Activities

Appendix G: Te Scoutmaster Conerence

Appendix H: Sample Scoutmaster Conerence Questions

Appendix I: Advancement Checklists

Appendix J: Advancement Simulation Cards

Appendix K: Participant Course Assessment


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Appendix A: Equipment and Materials

• American flag and stand

• BSA flag (optional)

• Advancement cards (Appendix I)

• Flip chart (one per patrol group)

• Dry-erase markers (assorted colors, including plenty o black and blue ones)

• A way to distinguish the patrols (For example, colored tablecloths or small colored paper flagson a dowel. Keep it simple as the participants will identiy with their patrol as they becomeenthusiastic about the course and their small groups.)

Posters for Display

• Scout Oath

• Scout Law

• Aims o Scouting

• Methods o Boy Scouting

• Role o the roop Committee

• Outdoor Code (optional)• 5 Steps o Annual Program Planning (optional)

Printed Handouts(one set per participant; available in this appendix except as noted below)

• Aims and methods

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Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training S24

Documents

Transcript of Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training S24